ZoBio (www.zobio.com) was founded in 2004 and is located in Leiden, Netherlands. We offer innovative research services in the field of small-molecule drug discovery to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Our international team of 33 people covers four fields of expertise: Protein Engineering and Production, Assay Development and Screening, Structural Biology and Medicinal Chemistry.

We are currently looking to strengthen our team with an X-ray crystallographer with a track record in protein crystallography and a strong background in X-ray crystallographic data analysis. Experience in building and refinement of protein-small-molecule complexes would be extremely helpful.

You will support our clients’ drug discovery programs by solving ligand-protein structures. You will work with minimal supervision but in a highly collaborative environment within the Structural Biology team and will effectively cooperate on a per-project basis with other research groups at ZoBio. Your role will require working simultaneously on multiple projects in a rapidly evolving environment. Team spirit and excellent organization and communication skills are essential.

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

• High-throughput crystallographic screening utilizing automation and robotics
• High-throughput and -quality structure elucidation and interpretation of biological macromolecules in complexes with small molecules of interest
• Utilization of X-ray crystallography pipelines with the aid of computational structural biology tools to aid the efficient structure elucidation of protein-ligand complexes
• Prepare presentations on the structural data for project teams and clients
• Maintain up-to-date understanding of the current state of the field in X-ray crystallography in relation to modern drug discovery challenges

REQUIREMENTS

• PhD in relevant field with experience in an industrial or collaborative setting
• Hands-on experience with ligand modelling into electron density maps and macromolecular model building and refinement in the context of Structure-Based Drug Discovery campaigns
• Hands-on experience in solving challenging X-ray crystallography cases (e.g.ab initio structure solution)
• Experience with computational structural biology tools such as ligand docking, virtual screening, and molecular dynamics simulation would be considered an advantage
• Experience in scripting and programming would be considered an advantage
• Ability to work in a team in a result-driven, goal-oriented environment

It is fully expected that you will become a permanent and integral member of the ZoBio team after an initial period of 12 months. Applicants at either the Senior Scientist or Scientist level will be considered.

A tailored remuneration package will be proposed in line with individual qualifications and experience. The position is immediately available; the evaluation and assessment of candidates will run until the position is filled.

Please send your CV, motivation letter and names of potential referees at <hrm@zobio.com> with the subject: “Scientist in Protein Crystallography”.